TripleCare,
a national provider of telemedicine-based healthcare services to skilled
nursing facilities (SNFs), announced today that the company has been
selected to participate in a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS) study evaluating the cost effectiveness of telemedicine
utilization in SNFs.

The one-year study is intended to assess the benefits of
telemedicine-based virtual physician services, which are used to prevent
both avoidable nursing-home-to-hospital admissions and readmissions, and
to estimate the economic impact on Medicare, Medicaid and the
participating SNFs. The TRECS Institute, a non-profit organization
dedicated to improving care for seniors while decreasing healthcare
costs, is leading and managing the study while TripleCare is providing
the virtual physician services.

As one of the nation’s first telemedicine providers, TripleCare brings
virtual healthcare services to SNFs during off hours when physician
coverage at these facilities is typically lacking or non-existent, such
as overnight, during the weekends and on holidays. These are the times
when most hospital transfers occur. The company’s network of highly
trained physicians perform virtual bedside visits, treating patients in
place, using advanced technology, coupled with assistance from SNFs’
on-site nurses. This innovative telemedicine-based approach allows
physicians to differentiate from patients that truly need to go to the
hospital versus those that can be treated in the SNF. TripleCare’s
virtual physician services have proven to aid in avoiding unnecessary
hospital transfers.

In a recent, separate TRECS study during which TripleCare provided
virtual physician services, both a dramatic improvement in the quality
of patient care delivered as well as a significant financial benefit
were reported: 91 instances of hospital admissions/readmissions were
averted, resulting in more than $1.3 million in savings for Medicare.
Additionally, results revealed positive increases in net revenue for the
study facility, which significantly exceeded the cost of TripleCare’s
services, thereby improving both top- and bottom-line financial
performance for the SNF.

“Changes in patients’ conditions often occur in the off hours when
physicians are not physically present at SNFs. This is precisely the
time when TripleCare’s virtual physician services kick in. Our team of
expert physicians nationwide work closely with on-site SNF nurses to
immediately address these changes in an attempt to avoid
hospitalizations. As a result, these virtual visits are reaping
considerable financial savings for SNFs and our nation’s healthcare
system. We also afford SNF patients and their families a better care
experience and peace of mind, knowing TripleCare is there to offer
physician oversight in the off hours,” explained Mary Jo Gorman, chief
executive officer at TripleCare.

“We are confident that by the end of this year-long study, results will
bear out the many benefits our telemedicine approach affords patients,
SNFs and CMS. The healthcare industry is working aggressively to prevent
hospitalizations, and for years, TripleCare has successfully directly
addressed this through its model. We are currently contracted with more
than 60 SNFs nationwide, which is a true testament to the ways we
enhance patient care while concurrently helping them control costs,” she
concluded.

John Whitman, executive director at TRECS, believes that soon every
nursing facility in America will be utilizing virtual physician
services. He said: “Studies show that approximately 60-70 percent of all
nursing home transfers to the hospital are unnecessary. Sending a
vulnerable senior to the hospital only increases their exposure to a
wide range of other proven, adverse effects. TRECS and TripleCare have
clearly demonstrated a better patient care model that not only reduces
avoidable hospitalizations and improves clinical outcomes but also
generates positive economic impact for both CMS and participating SNFs.”

About the Agency for Health Care Administration

The Agency for Health Care Administration is committed to better health
care for all Floridians. The Agency administers Florida’s Medicaid
program, licenses and regulates more than 49,500 health care facilities
and 43 health plans, and publishes health care data and statistics at www.FloridaHealthFinder.gov.
The Agency oversees the Civil Money Penalty projects approved by the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for Florida projects.
These projects are aimed at improving the quality of life and care of
nursing home residents. For more information about these projects and
how to apply, visit the Agency’s
website. Additional information about Agency initiatives is
available via Facebook
(AHCAFlorida), Twitter
(@AHCA_FL) and YouTube
(/AHCAFlorida).

About The TRECS Institute

Chalfont, Pa.-based The TRECS Institute (Targeting Revolutionary
Elder Care Solutions), founded in 2004, is a 501(c)(3)
not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving care for seniors
nationwide, which reduces costs for the U.S. healthcare system. Since
its founding, TRECS has conducted studies and held national summits on
topics relating to the nation’s 15,000 nursing facilities in operation,
as well as the outlook for the future of America’s nursing home industry.

About TripleCare

New York, N.Y.-based TripleCare is a national provider of
telemedicine-based healthcare services to skilled nursing facilities
(SNFs). The Company brings highly trained physicians to patients’
bedsides, via advanced technology, which enables patients to receive
timely interventions when a change of condition occurs. As an
experienced telemedicine provider bringing care to patients since 2008,
TripleCare is contracted with more than 60 skilled nursing facilities
across 11 states. TripleCare’s proven implementation and service
approach benefits patients, families, providers and SNFs.

PharmiWeb.com is Europe's leading industry-sponsored portal for the Pharmaceutical sector, providing the latest jobs, news, features and events listings.
The information provided on PharmiWeb.com is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her
physician.